The Basics: Using a Baby Tracking App

Your baby is now three months and has settled into her own internal schedule. Now is a great time to establish a routine. Use a journal or a baby tracking app to get to know her rhythm, her internal clock, and make a routine that makes both you and your baby happy.

Here are the list of things to track to get you started:

Sleep

The time she sleeps the longest will undoubtedly be at nighttime. Keep a log of what time she doses off and at what time she wakes up. Her wake up time will be similar everyday. If your baby is waking up during the night, keep track of that as well so you can at least get a sense of what time to wake yourself up during the night. I found that it gave me a better peace of mind to be “prepared” to wake up instead jolting awake when I hear my baby through the baby monitor.

Get a good grip on your baby’s natural sleep schedule and plan your baby’s day around it. Sleep is what takes up most your baby’s day and establishing a sleep schedule and feeding schedule needs to compliment each other.

Feeding

Keep a record of how long each of your breastfeeding session and your pumping session is. Timing your breastfeeding gives you a better sense of how much breast milk your baby is consuming. Your pediatrician will want to know this information as well since the amount
your baby consumes has a direct relation to his weight, height, and head circumference.

Also, take note of which breast you’re feeding on and the order. This ensures that you are using both your breasts equally and will keep your breast milk supply balanced on both breasts. Start with the breast you ended from in the last breastfeeding session.

Diaper Change

Babies will need their diaper changed 6-8 times a day and it’s hard for moms to remember the appearance of each stool and how many time and the count of diapers changed. A baby’s stool not only tells you if your baby is digestion well but also can tell you signs of illnesses. Furthermore, keeping track of your baby’s stool will help the doctor determine what kind of illness your baby.

On the side note,  I found that an app that tells you the total count of diaper changes lets me know exactly when to order more diapers, saving me money and also reducing waste!

Growth Chart

Keep track of your baby’s weight, height, and head circumference. Most baby tracking apps will magically convert your data into a graph in a second. Most graphs in these apps will also indicate what percentile your baby is in. Typically, you want to view growth as a whole and you don’t need to worry about what percentile your baby is in because a smaller or a bigger baby are likely to be that way due to genetics. You should be concerned, however, when you see a dramatic change in the baby’s percentile. If your baby was in the 75th percentile but suddenly drops to 25th, then that’s something to be worried about.

Do you have any suggestions about other baby tracking features?

Comment below!